Currently, electronic cameras are arranged to be able to download image files to an external computing device or directly to a printer, for subsequent reproduction by the printer. When printing such image files, page layouts of the images on the printed page are not generated automatically. A user typically chooses from a set of static layouts that are determined based upon the number of images per page. For example, if a user specifies one image per page, then the user is limited to a specific, predetermined layout of the image file. Such predetermined layouts do not account for the original size, orientation, or order of the image files, but simply arrange the image files according to a predetermined template.
Where a page contains images with different orientations, that is both portrait and landscape oriented images, viewing of some of the images is awkward. This is disadvantageous when a user would like to use the printed pages bound together in an album. These predetermined layouts further cause the image files to be printed in non-standard sizes, which do not correspond to typical album sleeves and picture frames. A user is also unable to select the order of the image files on a page, as the order is determined by the predetermined layout. As stated above with respect to orientation, a user may desire to display images in a specific order, for example, when showing a particular order of events.
Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for printing image files, and to allow a user to specify parameters such that the image files will be printed in a particular order and size, and in a manner such that each image on a page has the same orientation